{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,11,4]],"date-time":"2026-11-04T00:12:25Z","timestamp":1793751145358,"version":"4.6.1"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,1]],"date-time":"2026-02-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1769904000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004271","name":"Sapienza University of Rome","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["000055_24_RS_LUBRANO_Ateneo_ProgMedi2023"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["000055_24_RS_LUBRANO_Ateneo_ProgMedi2023"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004271","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Obesity is a chronic relapsing disorder associated with many comorbidities. Some evidence suggests that oxytocin (OT) has an anorexigenic effect, but its levels are often increased in obesity. This study investigates the effects of weight loss induced by a very-low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) on oxytocin levels. Methods: A total of 47 subjects with overweight or obesity, 28 females (60%) and 19 males, with a mean age of 55.5 \u00b1 7.3 years and mean BMI 35.9 \u00b1 4.4 kg\/m2, underwent VLCKD for 45 days. We assessed anthropometric parameters, metabolic profile, body composition and OT levels at baseline (t0) and at the end of the diet (t1). Results: After weight loss, plasma OT levels significantly dropped. Baseline OT correlated with BMI, fat mass and trunk fat. A linear relationship was observed between Delta OT levels and Delta BMI. Baseline OT was an independent predictor of weight loss and directly correlated with blood ketone levels at the end of the study. An optimal serum OT cut-off that predicts ketosis occurrence was identified. Conclusions: Weight loss obtained with a VLCKD reduces OT levels in patients with excess weight. Baseline OT predicts weight loss and correlates with ketone body levels during a VLCKD.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu18030485","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,2]],"date-time":"2026-02-02T14:12:46Z","timestamp":1770041566000},"page":"485","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Oxytocin, Weight Loss and Ketosis in Response to a Very-Low-Calorie Ketogenic Diet: An Exploratory Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1044-2278","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elena","family":"Gangitano","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"Departmental Faculty of Medicine, Unicamillus-Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences, 00131 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4811-0159","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rebecca","family":"Rossetti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3358-4204","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rossella","family":"Tozzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"Unit of Endocrinology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, 00128 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paola","family":"Nevi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0820-633X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Davide","family":"Masi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sabrina","family":"Basciani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7867-1010","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Orietta","family":"Gandini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2225-8814","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mikiko","family":"Watanabe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mariaignazia","family":"Curreli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8217-2372","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lucio","family":"Gnessi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1762-4701","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stefania","family":"Mariani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8261-1451","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carla","family":"Lubrano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2278","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(24)01548-4","article-title":"National-level and state-level prevalence of overweight and obesity among children, adolescents, and adults in the USA, 1990\u20132021, and forecasts up to 2050","volume":"404","author":"Ng","year":"2024","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"668","DOI":"10.4239\/wjd.v13.i9.668","article-title":"Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and diabetes","volume":"13","author":"Bellini","year":"2022","journal-title":"World J. 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